Under the Arch of the Rainbow
by Sugar Pink
Summary: [SS oneshot]She admired him from afar. He's clueless. One fateful day, their paths were crossed under the rainbow, but graduation came and gone before any confessions are made. Will she have another chance to watch the rainbow with him? Or is it too late?


**Sugar Pink:** Ok, I don't know what is wrong with me and one-shot stories lately XD! But I just can't help it...one-shot are more responsibility-free! And I don't know why, but I prefer more of a bitter-sweet ending to my stories lately too...XD But I don't think this ending will be too bitter haha.

I hope you'll all enjoy this story...and remember to leave a review!

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Have you ever met a person who you know you will remember for the rest of your life, even though their importance seems to decade over time? It's funny how that works. If their importance to us decay over time, why do they still occupy a significant amount of room in our memories?

Maybe it's because they have once made a difference in our lives; a difference that we are grateful for as we moved on.

Or maybe it's because they left a huge impact and image in our mind that not even time can scrub off.

Sometimes, we are forced to live with the memory of that person forever, unless, of course, we hit our heads and get amnesia. Sometimes, not even the ticking away of time can erase the influence that person made on us. Time is a powerful thing. It can heal all wounds, physical and emotional. It may not be able to heal everything back to the original, perfect, and shiny state, but time has the ability to take away a certain amount of pain, no matter how less that amount is. Why? Because time allows us to change what we don't like, and it also allows us to learn to live with what we can't change.

For me, time has allowed me to learn to live with what I cannot change. However, just because I have learned to live with it, it doesn't mean I will forget. Whenever it rains, I will remember. Whenever I see the sunshine after the rain, I will remember. Whenever I see a rainbow...I will remember it even more clearly. Perhaps it's because I don't want to forget. Perhaps it's true that I will never truly move on if I don't forget. But...perhaps carrying on this bittersweet memory will give me the strength to carry on.

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**Under the Arch of the Rainbow**

**by Sugar Pink**

I sat in the usual cafe, sipping my warm hot chocolate, listening to the soft music playing in the background. It's raining again. It's the third time this week. I guess it's typical weather in November.

Glancing at my watch, I realize that I have been sitting here, watching the rain, for about twenty minutes. I should probably get home. I have my best friend's dinner party to go to. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to move. I keep having a woman's intuition that the rain will bring about a change in my life in a way that I don't know.

I snapped out of my reverie and blinked my emerald green eyes twice at the sudden sound of the shop's bell tinkling when two young teenagers walked in. They were wearing the local high school's uniform, a white blouse, red tie and red skirt the girl, and white blouse, red tie, and black pants for the boy.

I can see that the uniform styles haven't changed much since the days I graduated from Seijuu High six years ago.

I think it's safe to say that Seijuu High brought me up quite successfully. Upon graduation, I got accepted into Toudai University in Tokyo. After finishing my degree in commerce, I came back to Tomoeda and got myself a decent job as a real estate agent. Right now, at the age of twenty-three, I can say I am happy.

I noticed the young teenagers and observed them closely. I'm just a naturally curious person. They look like they are in the last year of their high school career.

"So, what do you want, Daisuke?" the girl asked, opening the menu.

"I'll have a hot chocolate and a strawberry cake." the boy decided.

"Okay, I guess I will have that too."

"Maiyako, Kumiki's birthday is coming up soon. I really want to get a good present; something that will make my feelings be known. What do you suggest?"

"Umm...let me think..."

A simple conversation, but it was enough to tell me that she likes him. Maybe it's woman's intuition. Or maybe it's the little "Maiyako and Daisuke" doodled inside a heart shape scrawled on the girl's notebook...which she tried to cover with her hand.

Their little get-together here in this cafe triggers unforgettable memories deep in my heart. Is it fate that I happen to be in this very cafe, under this very rainy weather, and running into these two late-teens? They remind me so much of my own high school days, especially the girl. However, I do hope they receive a sweeter ending than I did.

I had my own one-sided love back in high school. Of course, one sided love always ended up in tragic, especially in high school.

"High school crushes often end up in pain and sorrow...but you know that once we all graduate, none of it will matter anymore." My best friend Tomoyo always said that. And I believed her. Thinking that my own unrequited love won't matter after we graduate was something that kept me going. I _will_ get over it once we graduated.

I wanted to hate him for making me feel this way, for being so sweet and shy. But deep down I know it's my own fault. My own fault that I cannot let go of something that is going nowhere. My own fault for doing too much wishful thinking.

We were simply two strangers whose paths were unknowingly crossed since we were freshmen. I've noticed him since first year high school. I continued to notice and crush from afar all the way up to senior year. He had his own share of girlfriends, but my feelings for him were simply infatuation, and it wasn't something to make a big deal about. It was a painless _crush_ and perhaps _admiration_.

That all changed when our paths fatefully intertwined on that rainy November day in senior high school year.

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"You forgot your umbrella too, eh?" he had said to me when I ducked under the mini park shelter.

"Yeah." I replied, looking up at the sky. "How long do you think the rain will last?"

"I don't know. It sure shows no sign of stopping." he sighed, his amber eyes showing signs of frustration. "I have to get home and cook dinner tonight too."

"I have to get home before my older brother has a fit about my whereabouts." I rolled my green eyes. I heard him laugh. That's rare.

"Is your onii-chan Touya Kinomoto? The famous soccer legend who ever played on the fields of Seijuu High?"

"Yeah."

We stood like that for hours, waiting for the rain to pass away. I was a bit disappointed when it did finally clear up. I could sense that maybe he was a bit disappointed to. We stood talking for about twenty more minutes, even though the sun was shining again.

"I have to get going." he finally said, standing up. "I still have time to prepare for dinner."

"Yeah, I should get going too." I said, standing up as well. We walked out of the mini park shelter and I looked up at the sky, which is one again a magnificent azure. A smile made its way onto my face when I noticed the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen.

"Look!" I pointed excitedly towards it. His amber eyes followed to where I was pointing.

"Wow, I guess it's a good thing it rained so hard earlier. If it didn't, I wouldn't have got a chance to see this...and I wouldn't have got the chance to know you better, Kinomoto-chan." he gave me a sweet and genuine smile.

"Call me Sakura, Li-kun." I replied cheerfully.

"Then you'll have to call me Syaoran." he replied. We gazed up at the rainbow for a moment longer before we went separate ways towards our own home.

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The next chance I had to have an actual one-on-one conversation with him was on the day of our senior year picnic at Penguin Park a few weeks after our encounter at the park.

"Aww man! I can't believe it's raining on the day of our senior picnic!" my good friend Chiharu was mumbling.

"Our planned this day for weeks too!" Rika gave a depressed sigh.

"Now we're going to be stuck in class for the rest of the day, back to the boring old lesson." my best friend and cousin Tomoyo chimed in.

And so the depression parade marches on.

"It's alright, we can have the senior picnic another day." Syaoran chimed in.

Thank god for someone who isn't affected by this weather.

"Syaoran's right, Tomoyo." Eriol, Tomoyo's boyfriend, agreed and wrapped an arm affectionately around Tomoyo's shoulders. She is so lucky to have someone who loves her back in the way she loves him.

"I guess." Tomoyo sighed. Needless to say, our senior picnic was cancelled that day and we stayed in class, listening to Terada-sensei teach. We decided to reschedule the picnic to sometime next week.

The grey skies and heavy shower lasted all day. It was still raining when the bell signalling the end of the school day rang.

"Sakura, Syaoran, do you remember that you two have art room duties this afternoon in Mizuki-sensei's room." Terada-sensei reminded us at the end of class.

"Okay,"

We wandered into Mizuki-sensei's art room and helped her with the paint jars and the hanging of each individual paintings.

"I like this one." he said, pointing at an abstract painting. "It makes you think. It provokes the mind."

"Really? I like this one more." I gestured to the last painting I had hung on the yellowed walls. It was a picture of a sunny forest filled with green-ness. "It makes me relax and serene."

He observed the forest painting. "It has nice weather. Sort of the exact opposite of the one we're having now." he grinned, looking out the window at the town of Tomoeda getting showered with wet rain.

Our art duties went on for two more hours.

"Want to go grab a bite to eat?" he asked me as we walk into the rain under our umbrellas.

"Sure. We can try that cafe down by the street." I suggested. I felt a jolt of happiness because I get to spend time with him. Alone. I know it probably doesn't mean anything other than simple friendship, but I couldn't control myself as I let my mind wander into that zone of wishful thinking.

We sat in the cafe, eating our strawberry shortcakes and sipping our hot chocolates. We had a lot of fun. At least I did. But I was sure he didn't have a bad time either. Perhaps he had had better times with girls, but I can tell he didn't think time spent with me was too dull.

"Hey, the rain stopped." I pointed out as we stepped out of the cafe after our snack.

"Oh yeah. I wonder how long it stopped for." he muses, looking around at the new sunshine.

"Look, it's a rainbow again." I pointed upwards excitedly as a feeling of deja vu hits me.

"It's beautiful." he glances upwards too. Then he grins. "Why is it every time I'm with you, there's always a rainbow?"

"We're just lucky I guess." I smiled back.

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The next time we spent time together, he wasn't his usual self.

"I swear, we're under some kind of rain spell this week." Chiharu groaned.

"That's good, let it rain out this week so it will be sunny next week for our senior picnic." Tomoyo grinned. "Sakura, do you need a ride home?"

"No, I have art room duties this week." I said. Even I think my voice sounds a little too happy.

"Oh, okay then. See you later."

"Bye." I wave goodbye to my friends until they're all out the door. Then I headed towards Mizuki-sensei's classroom, only to find Syaoran already there. He was looking up at a painting of a dejected Cupid holding crooked arrows over a grey background.

"What's so interesting?" I asked, glancing up at the artwork also.

"It's called Lonely Valentine. It's made by a girl from Mizuki-sensei's class." he stated, not taking his amber eyes off the painting. I glanced at the little tag next to the corner of the painting, which states the artist's name.

"Meiling Rae." I read. **(A.N.: in this story, Meiling is _NOT_ his cousin! They're _NOT _related!)**

"That's her." he nodded.

"It's such a depressing artwork...yet...it's beautiful." I said.

"She just broke up with her boyfriend." he said curtly.

"How do you know?" I asked, turning my head in his direction.

"We're best friends. She tells me everything. Her boyfriend's family is going to move to Tokyo."

Then there was silence.

"You like her, don't you, Syaoran?"

He tensed. "Of course I do. She's my best friend."

"I mean, you think of her as more than a friend, don't you? Don't bother lying, I can see it in your eyes. You're upset because she's hurt."

He didn't reply right away. But when he did...

"Yes."

That simple word caused jabs of pain to hit me. I never knew such a simple and short word could be so powerful.

"Why don't you tell her?"

"It's not a good time."

"If you don't do it now, you might miss your chance. Do you really need a sign flashing in neon lights telling you when you should confess?"

"Perhaps I do need some sort of sign to tell me that this is a good time." he replied. We stood like that for a few more minutes. Suddenly, Mizuki-sensei came in the room. I can hear her high heels clicking against the floor a few metres away before she actually reached the room. I can also hear that she was talking with someone else.

"...and I really think you should enter that art competition, Meiling. Oh, hi Sakura, Syaoran." Mizuki-sensei smiled when she saw us.

"Konnichiwa, sensei." Syaoran and I said in unison.

"I was just telling Meiling here that she should enter that art competition. Don't you two think so?" Mizuki-sensei glanced up at the painting of Lonely Valentine. "Anyways, I just came back to get my coat. I have to leave earlier today, so I can't supervise you two on art duty. But don't be lazy. I trust you to lock the door behind you when you're done."

With that she left the three of us in the small art room.

"You should really enter that contest, Meiling-chan." I said. "You have great talent."

"Thanks," she smiled back at me warmly. "Well, I best be going too." Meiling smiled and then turned around and left. It was just me and him again.

"Syaoran, do you need a brighter sign? Go after her now! I know that deep down, you want to." I said. I felt a wave of heartache wash over me as I encourage him to chase after another girl. But I know that if I don't encourage him now, he will miss his chance and will regret it later on. Then he will be sad. I don't want to see him like that.

He glanced at me, his eyes still filled with uncertainty.

"Go. I'll take care of the art duties."

Then he did the one thing I will never forget. He hugged me. "Thanks." he whispered gratefully. "Thanks for encouraging me."

Giving me one last warm smile, he dashed out the door after Meiling.

I felt tears prick my eyes as I carried on the art duties. Why am I holding the tears back? Nobody is here to see me cry. I finally let my tears roll down, falling, like the rain outside.

When I walk home that day, it was still raining. The rain didn't let up until the street lights came on. There were no sunshine after the rain. And most of all...there was no rainbow that day.

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On the day of the senior picnic, the sun was indeed shining. I sat with Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Naoko, Rika, Syaoran and...Meiling.

Syaoran and Meiling seem to be in their own little world, even though they sat right next to the rest of us. He had told me that she accepted him after he ran after her that day when we were in the art room.

I had put on a fake smile and said "good job."

Is this really how I want to spend the last few weeks of my final year in high school? Grieving over a heartbreak? Maybe it's time to end it. I've noticed him since first year, and fell possibly in love this year. Yes, it's definitely time to move on.

But I also wanted to have a final meeting with him. Just the two of us. And watch the rainbow.

I never did get that final meeting. It wasn't because there wasn't anymore rainy days. It wasn't because there wasn't anymore rainbows. It wasn't because I didn't spend time with him. I remember spending a few hours by the lake with him when Meiling ended their relationship because her boyfriend didn't have to move.

"I realize he's the one I want to be with, Syaoran. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly when I said yes to you. I'm really sorry...I was really down at that time and I needed someone to be there and you...I'm just really sorry."

That's what she had said. Their relationship only lasted about two weeks but he liked her for two years. At least that's what he had told me. So why didn't I get my wish of watching one last rainbow with him before graduation?

I don't know why either. Perhaps it was the wrong timing for both of us. Whenever it rains and there's a rainbow after the rain, he wasn't there and I always watch it alone. On the day we sat by the lake as he told me his relationship problems, a rainbow never appeared.

I considered telling him how I felt after he broke up with Meiling. But I never did.

"Relationships are complex," he had said at that time, "I intend to wait until I'm more mature until I get into another one."

Maybe this is why we never ended up together. Maybe, it's because I had missed my chance of confessing. I should have took the advice I gave to him.

"_If you don't do it now, you might miss your chance. Do you really need a sign flashing in neon lights telling you when you should confess?"_

I had my sign. They were flashing in beautiful colours of red, yellow, green, blue, violet, and indigo. Every time I was alone with him, they were there, gracing the skies with their beauty, and also urging me to tell him how I feel. But I had ignore their urging and encouragement until it was too late. We went on being nothing more than friends until we went our separate ways after high school

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I got up from the coffee shop after paying my bill. I cast one last look at the young teens before closing the door behind me with a smile on my face. I decided to go over to Tomoyo's house...since the dress she made for me to wear at her dinner party tonight is over there anyways.

I quickly ran over to my car, trying to avoid as much raindrops from falling on me as possible. It was a quick ten minutes drive to Tomoyo's mansion.

"Hello, Miss Sakura." the maid smiled at me, taking my coat.

"Thank you." I replied back politely.

"Hey, Sakura." Eriol's voice called out to me. After all these years, he's still faithfully by Tomoyo's side.

"Sakura! You're here! Oh gosh, I have a crisis." Tomoyo said worriedly.

"What's wrong?"

"She's worried the rain will ruin the outdoor buffet tonight." Eriol smirked.

"That's a perfectly valid reason to worry!" Tomoyo whined.

"Just have the buffet inside, sweetheart." Eriol suggested.

"But I don't want my guests to be cramped up inside!" Tomoyo turned to me "What do you think?"

"Well, I hate to say this, but there's nothing you can do if it rains, Tomoyo. Why don't you just have the buffet inside?" I said.

"Fine." she huffed.

"Whoa, Tomoyo, you have a bowling alley in this mansion?" a deep voice laughed from behind the corner.

My head snapped up. A person with dark chestnut brown hair and auburn eyes came strolling into my line of vision. It's him.

"S-Syaoran Li?" I managed to choke out. He looked up at me. I feel all those fuzzy emotions rising again. After all these years...who would have thought that I'll feel the way I did back in senior high school.

"Sakura? Sakura Kinomoto? It's you! I haven't seen you since graduation!" he beamed that smile I loved so much at me.

"I-I thought you went to Hong Kong to study." I said, still stunned.

"I did, and I came back today."

"How long...are you staying for?" I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"For...as long as I want. My Dad sent up a branch of the Li Corp here in Tomoeda and sent me to manage it. So I guess I'll be sticking around for a long time to come." he grinned.

I feel my heart dance in joy.

"Come on, you two. You can reunite as you help me set up for tonight's party!" Tomoyo dragged us all into the grand ballroom. Tomoyo prefer to set up and decorate her own parties, even though she knows the butlers and maids are fully capable.

"Half the fun is decorating it yourself." she always says. And I can't agree with her more.

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"Phew...that's was one hardworking afternoon." Syaoran grinned.

"Now, you're all going to take a shower in those washrooms upstairs. Sakura, I have your dress ready for you. Did you guys bring your formal suits?" Tomoyo eyed Eriol and Syaoran accusingly. "You better have."

"We did." Eriol laughed.

"Good. Now all we have left is to set up the buffet table. I think the new table I ordered should be here any minute..." Tomoyo glanced at the clock.

"You ordered a new table for this party?" I gaped.

"Well, the old one was broken because of termites." Tomoyo cast an eye at Eriol. He blushed.

"I was looking after my kid cousin. He had a termite farm for a school project. Things got out of hand."

We all laughed.

"Oh, that must be the delivery people!" Tomoyo said excitedly as the bell rang. She rushed to the front door and swung the door open before the maid had a chance to open it.

"Where do you want this miss?" the bulky man asked.

"Just put it down over there, thanks."

"Hey, the rain stopped." I noticed.

"Hey! You're right! I can have my buffet outdoors after all! In that case, can you bring it around back here?" Tomoyo gestured to the back lawn and Eriol and her followed the bulky delivery man.

It was just me and him again.

"So..."

"So..."

"How's life around in Tomoeda?" he asked.

"It's pretty peaceful. How was Hong Kong?"

"Heartbreaking." he grinned. I gave him a questioning look. "My girlfriend was actually going out with the son of a rival company. She used me in hopes of getting unreleased marketing ideas."

I gasped. "That's awful!"

"Yeah, but unfortunately, I caught her and so there were no damages." he shrugged.

"How long ago was this?" I asked.

"Just last week. I went from meeting someone who I thought loved me to being single in just a blink of an eye." he said.

"And...you're still smiling?"

"Oh well, it's all good. I'm over it. She was really low, wanting to steal marketing plans like that. I don't think it's something I should let bother me." he shrugged.

Then there were silence. "You're still not over it yet, are you?" I said. I can see it in his amber eyes.

He grinned. "You're good at reading minds, aren't you? I will never forget how you found out about my feelings for Meiling in high school. You're the only person who can ever read me like a book. But yeah, I'm not over it yet...but moving back to Tomoeda speeded up the healing process quite a bit."

I laughed. "I'm glad."

"I still remember what you told me back in high school. Don't miss your chance, that's what you said. That's why I said yes right away when my dad asked me if wanted to come back to Tomoeda and run the new branch."

"Yeah...it's very important not to miss chances...because you don't know when you will get another one."

"Hey! Look!"

My emerald green eyes followed his line of vision...and I saw a rainbow! It was truly magnificent. The distinctive colours stood out boldly against the azure sky.

"It's amazing."

"It's breathtaking." We said at the same time. We looked at each other. We smiled. Then we looked back up at the streak of red, yellow, blue, green, violet and indigo stretching endlessly against the semi-grey sky.

_This time...I won't let the chance slip by..._

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**Sugar Pink:** Yay! It's done! Wow that took a long time. I hope you all liked it! I tried to make the ending more on the happy side )

_**Please remember to leave a review and tell me if you liked it or not! Pleeeeeeaseeee! haha**_


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